Friction device.



Pf M. PRBER. 1

111101 1011 DEVICE.

1.191 11101111011 1111 31) IEB.5, 1910. 1,008,635. Pa 16111911 Nov. 14,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

P, M. FREER. FRICTION DEVICE.

APPLIGATIDN FILED FEE.5, 1910.

P tented Nov. 14, 1911.

' ...I1z0 Tito 1". 1 1 6% a 7% UNITED STATEfiPhflTENT OFFICE.

PHELPS M. FBEEB, OF BABBEBTON, OHIO.

FRICTION DEVICE.

.Speclfication of Letters Patent. Patentwl N 14., 1911, Application filed February 5 1910. i

designed to retard-the movements of parts relatively to each other and adaptable for use in many (litl'erent kinds of appliances, and perhaps in different forms from those shown in the dra\\-'ings. iltustrate prineipallya form designed for special use as a shock absorber for the springs of anto 'nohiles. 'or like vehicles. butit is not intended to limit itto thisnse, or

its forms to those. shown in the drawing.

In the main. the invention consists of two opposed series of internieshingwedges or blocks having 'inolined edges and set within a given spare. the lmsesof one almttiugagainst awall and the protruding Jmses ot'the other invorseset aeted upon by a cam nNlill'Kl,"lTHH'nlllP in a path substan tially parallel .to saidwall and having a curved or waved surface. the 'erests and valleys of which are ahoiit' equally disposed almiga median line so that the displacements caused 'hy' the wedges living driven into deeperengagement by the erestsot' the Pain may he eonipensatod for by the retreatot other wedges into the spaeeiafl'orded by the valleys of the earn surface. I

In the'drawings. Figure- 1 is a side elevation of a casing containing the Wedges and (Mn of this invention, theorising having an arm adapted to be attached to onemember, say -of an automobile sp-r1ng while the cam member has another arm adapted to he at;

tuoh'ed to the; other lnemher of'the a utomobile spring; Fig". 2 is supla'n view of the" same. Fig.3 is anelevation;"partly in see tiongon the. line 3--3 of Fig. 4, showing the arrangementfof the two series of wedges, and the ram. adapted to operate upon them.

.Fig. 4 is a. longitudinal section of the same on tho-"line iet df Rig. 5 is a per speetn-e view 91 .(in ofithe wedgesofone series, showing it grooved along its oper ati've side to facilitate liihrioation. Fig. 6

- wedges and a; waved. face ca'm adapted to These dra wings inner face. wedges is another set .of wedges D which Serial No; 542,219.

of the principles of the invention; and Fig.

.7 is a c-orresponding ,VlHW of a group of three. wedges for the p lrpose of further illustratio. t

To first exp ain the. emstrnction of the.

drawings A represents a stamped metal easing having an annular fl inge a, and closed by a stamped metal cap 15 having an annular flange 3) closely fitting on the outside of the flange a of the casing 1nd firmly secured thereto by screws, rivets 7| -r otherwise as' desired, the two parts of ti e casing acting as a single member. in ope'ation. From the cover B there extends a lever 'arm B= preferahl made integral with the cover. \Vithin the casing is located an annular series of wedge members (3, the broad'outer bases of which bear against th annular flange aof the casing and adapte fl. if necessary, to nove sidei'vise-orcircun'ferentially ontits' In the spa-es between these extend for a greater poi-ti m of their lengths into the spaces between he wedges C' and hear atptheir inner base e ds against a cam I; provided n this case Wll'h aseries of.

three crests or high spots e,. and three corresponding. 'allevs e bet ween these crests. This cam hastrnnnions e on= each side .l'llt'll are fitted into suit ible'bearing apertures in the casing and c Iver, and the ends of the trunnions are squared as at; to receive lever arms F fitted s .iugly thereon and.

held in place by a bolt having washers 7 under its head at one s ide, and under its nuto on the other. Th1 searms are preferably drawn together fll'll limited at a pointnear their extremities, to act as a single member in operati g the cam. "In practiceb eaeh of, these arllns F an|t B woukl-l)t- "at-' taehed to one of two mern Jers movable. relatively to ea'eh other, the actionof; the' de-r'j' vice being intended to r gtard these-indie ments of themembers-ra :her than to limit them, so that if one arm w are attached to the top of an elliptic spring, and the other to the lower member of the spring. they would simplyprevent too rap d action of the I spring, while permitting v if necessary, its 1' tall range of movement and acting on an automobile spring as a's l oek absorber.

' In the peration of th: device, the bro 'jeoting wedges D beara :a-inst the cam as shown and retard-its rota! We. movement rel ativelv w the casing. Tie wedges C'bear= attheirouter base ends a gainst the wall-0t the casing, and as a'general proposition are stationary relatively to it, except as they may be moved when laterally displaced by the wedges D to provide s ace for such wed es. As some of the we ges D are being riven outwardly by the crests a of the cam and more deeply into the spaces between the wedges these spaces must enlarge and those wedges C adjacent thereto must move laterally and away from each other, to rovide the required additional space for t e out-thrust wedges D. Now, as

' the side thrusts upon them e wedgesv C are giving up additional space to tho wedges I) at this po1nt,th oy must at some other point in the series find space that will compensate for that given up to the out-mt ring wedges D'. This space is provided for further along in thG SBIIGS by the inward movement or retreat of other wedges D into'tlie valleys e of the cam, this retreat'of the wedges D permitting adjacent wedges C drawing together to the same aggregate: extent as those previously mentioned are forced apart. This inward movement of the wedges D is produced by of adjacent wedges O with sufiieient pressure to slip them out of their spaces. between said wedgcs C. Thisis illustrated in Fi 7 where, if the wedges C are subjecte to heavy thrusting pressure from opposite. di-

1 of the two series reetions, as shown-by horizontal arrows, they are forced together and squeeze the this manner the displacement of the wedges D is doubtless directly proportioned to the angles of inclination of the wedged surfaces, the more acute the angle the greater the resis'tanceand the greater the pressure required to overcome this resistance, with inverse requirements, as these angles become more obtuse;

- Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic view of portions of wedges and an actuating camdeveloped on a, that plane instead. of circular form as in the .otherviews 'of the drawings, the cam showing one crest e, and twoyalleys e about'equallypitched above and below amedian line-e. Assumingin i this case that the cam-E'is moving in the direction of the arrow e against arigid guide wall aparalle'l with the walla behind the wed es'C, all of the wedges D to D will be t rust outwardly by-said cam. and more "deepIy into the spaces between the wedges G""to-G, causing all of'sa'id wedges C to indicated by the arrows thereon, and, ofcourse, carrying with them.

.inthis movemenh'the intcrsp'acd wedges D.

this movement? of the cam E before rc 'ferred to, the-wedge D, which has arrived at the summit e of thecam is pressing in E bOth directions against the wedge C. in one wedge D out, as shown by arrow on wedge.

the opposed series of ward thrusts of one oral pressure which is transmitted laterally through a number of other wedges, which" 'sticl'r.

. practice.

direction and the wedge C and others bevoud it up, say, to C m' the opposite direclion this wedge C lying agalnst wedge l), whi h is at the very bottom of the \al- .lo\' 0', Now, as all of the wedges,--say fi oln D to l) are being forced or squeezed out, from between their adjacent wedges C, they permit lateral movement of the wedges C which draw together, contracting the spar-0s between them and thereby compensating for the enlargement of the spaces demanded by the out-thrust D wedges on the other side of the crest e. In this illustration. the wedge I) stands on the crest e, and has no further outward movei'ncnt, and

-lS effecting no more lateral displacement of the wedges at each side of it, The wedge mentioned and those immediately adja cent thereto, are in a state ofmore or less active movement, the C wedges merely moving laterally along the casing, while the D wedges move in and out, and also laterally as influenced by the C wedges. a

It will be understood that the retarding efllect upon the cam E by due in some measureto the frictional contact of the cam with the ends of those D wedges which the cam is forcing out wardly, but it is more largely due to the frictional resistance wedges, where-the out,- D- wedge causes a 1atsaid lateral pressure forces a D wedge, remote from the first, inwardly with a. ment opposite to that of the first mentioned wedge, and at a right angle to the-line ol" said lateral pressure,

It is intended that the. casingv shall. be -ma.de absolutely oil-tight, andkcpt filled the D wedges setup in thebody of with lubricant so that thc wedges will al ways be running longitudinal grooves may in oil and never liable To facilitate the admission of oil between thebloeks,

be formed in their working faces as shown at (Z in Fig. 5, and also in the faces of the blt ICkS 0,

Of course,

springs L might be employed ,to operate 'offtheDwedge's, as

against the outer ends shown in Fig. 3, the outer endsot the C -.wedges being cut away at each side to form".

. sugtable recesses for such: s'prings,,,as-shown.- 180 if desired,-.suchbeing commonv as before stated, the working. angles of the wedges are made more obtuse I The shape of the cam surface may be changed as desired to suit varyin requirements, it being essential only that t e a gregate endwise movement outwardly 0 -any number of the D wedges shall be equaled b a corresponding aggregate of inward en wise movement of the other remote blocks moved thereb -The invention lies chiefly in the arrangement of the wedges and cooperating cam, the wedges practically partaking of t e condition of the casing inclosing them in the matter of movement while the cam moves or rotates freel relatively to the casing and its wedges. in the drawings two lever arms are shown, one for the casing and one for the cam, but this is not essential in all cases for either member, the casing or the cam, might be made without an arm and fastened directly ii on one of the elements it is designed to wor with while the other member would be provided with an arm, as shown, to be attached to the other element.

Having described my invention, I claim: Lln a friction device, the combination of a wall, a series of wedge members haviiig their bases resting against said wall. a series of inverse. wedge members partially in ,termeshed with the first. series, their bases projecting beyond the apices of said first mentioned series, with a cam memberiulapted to act-upon the said projecting base ends.

of the second mentioned series of wedge members to move them endwise relatively to said first mentioned series.-

In a friction device, the combination of a wall, a series of wedge members having their bases resting against said wall and movable laterally thereoma series of inverse wedge members movable endwise and partially intermeshed with said first mentioned series, their base ends projecting beyond the apices of the first mentioned series, a cam having a waved surface adapted to act upon the projecting bases of the second mentioned series of wedges, said cam moving in a path substantially parallel to the. said wall.

3. In a friction device, the combination of a 'wall, a series of wedge members movable sidewise and having their bases restinga gainst said-wall, a series of inverse wedge meinb'ers movable midwise, partially intermeshed with the first mentioned series and having their base ends projecting beyond 'the. apices of said first mentioned series, all

of said wedge 'meu'ibcrs of both series being arranged 'llllill a given length of space. with a cam member movable parallel with said wall, havingalternate swells and dcpressiciis adapted to act upon the said projecting ends of the second iiiciitioncd series of wedge mcnibcrs to move them cudwise movable laterally t ereon a series of inverse wedges movable endwise' 1 nd partially intermeshed with said first mei tioned series, their base ends projecting be 0 1d the apices of the first mentioned series a I if said wed es being arranged within a giv in length 0 space,

with a cam having a wav idface adapted to opera e on said project ing ends of -the wed s, the crests or higl arts of the cam driving some of the prop: :ting wedge memhere into deeper mesh v'ith the opposing wedges while its depresslons or low parts permit-of the compensutii g retreat of other wedges of the same series 5. In afriotjon device, he combination of a disk provided with an annular wall, an annular series of wedges laying their-bases restin on said wall and movable circumferentially therealong, a series of inverse wedges partially intermcs led with said first set and' movable endwise radially, a rotatable cam having a wuvel face adapted to engage and 'lllUYe said in 'erse wedges serially into deeper mesh wth the wed es of the other series and to prt vide space; or the aggregate serial retreat of certain other wedges, the two series oi avedges when in mean engagement -ji'ist fairly filling the an.- niilar space provided for them inside the annular wall. a

6. In a. friction device constructed and adapted to operate substa ntially as hereinbefore described to retard the relative move ments of two bodies; the combination of a casing and a coin with to o opposed sets'of intermeshing friction we] :cs lying between them, and rigid external-'1 ieans on-sa idrasing and said cam adapted to be sei'a red respectively to two opposed 'eiatively novable bodies, to control 'theirViiovements' as. described.

' 7. In a. fr-ieti'on device {masseuse-Jana adapted to operate si'ibst-a many hereinbefore described to retard; :he rela tifve movementsof two bodies. the combination-bf a casing and a cam .with t o opposed sets of intermeshing friction wed res lying between them, and'means for suitibly securing-the casing and 'the cam respel tively to-the two said relatively movable he lies.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature in the presence o E two witnesses.

PHELI S M. FREER.

\Vitiicsscs:

ll. R. SULLIVAN, War. A. Samurai. 

